On the recordMay 19, 2015
I thank Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz for the time. I rise in strong opposition to the Ratcliffe amendment. If anyone has been watching, you have seen Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, more than ever, it is critical to engage with rising stars in the former Soviet Union because the old tactics of Soviet Russia are still being employed. This program belongs to Congress. Yes, it is a legislative branch program, so it is small; it is efficient; it is ours. It is our one tool to reach out to these countries to their rising leaders to expand accountable governance and the rule of law. Who better to teach it than those engaged, those of us who communicate with citizens in these countries that so very much want to be free? Open World directly connects us with changemakers in this very, very fluid region of the world. It reaches beyond the big cities, into the country side. I personally have greeted some of the leaders that have come from several countries, including Moldova and Ukraine. Let me tell you, it will be our generation and the next that will pay the price if this amendment is passed. We simply must engage with this part of the world. We cannot leave her in the hands of the Russian bear. I urge very strong opposition to the Ratcliffe amendment.
